Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale

Draft — not clinically reviewed

ABC · Balance · v0.1.0 · effective 2026-08-17

Sixteen-item self-report of balance confidence during daily activities, reported as a mean percentage.

Instructions

The patient rates their confidence in not losing balance during each activity, from 0% (no confidence) to 100% (complete confidence).
If the patient does not currently perform an activity, ask them to estimate their confidence if they had to do it.
Transfer the patient's ratings from the completed form. The score is the mean across all sixteen items.

Items

Progress0 of 16 answered

Population

Population-specific interpretation applies only when a population is selected.

1. Walk around the house
2. Walk up or down stairs
3. Bend over and pick up a slipper from the floor
4. Reach for a small can from a shelf at eye level
5. Stand on tiptoes to reach something above head
6. Stand on a chair to reach
7. Sweep the floor
8. Walk outside the house to a nearby car
9. Get into or out of a car
10. Walk across a parking lot to the mall
11. Walk up or down a ramp
12. Walk in a crowded mall
13. Walk in a crowd or get bumped
14. Ride an escalator holding the rail
15. Ride an escalator not holding the rail
16. Walk on icy sidewalks

Result

ABC v0.1.0

Incomplete — no score reported

16 of 16 items are unanswered. No score is reported until the measure is complete.

Source and version details

Version: 0.1.0
Effective date: 2026-08-17
Review status: Draft — not clinically reviewed

References

SOURCE NOT VERIFIED. The citation below is the suggested primary source and has not been checked against the published article. Confirm the citation and every value attributed to it before approving. Suggested source: Powell LE, Myers AM. The Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1995.
SOURCE NOT VERIFIED. The citation below is the suggested primary source and has not been checked against the published article. Confirm the citation and every value attributed to it before approving. Suggested source: The <50 / 50–80 / >80 function bands and the <67 fall-risk threshold each require a source.

Revision history

v0.1.0 (2026-08-17) — Initial definition. Scoring structure implemented; all interpretation thresholds are unverified and await clinical review.

This tool supports clinical documentation and does not replace professional judgment. It does not diagnose, prescribe treatment, or establish medical necessity. Verify every value before entering it into the medical record.